Christmas Eve is just around the corner, and in addition to the tree, clappers and Santa, the Christmas table is of course a central part of Christmas Eve itself. Herring is put in, meatballs are rolled and the salmon is dug – all in order to be able to set a hearty table of delicacies on Christmas Eve.
The Swedish Christmas table has actually been researched, Jenny Högström Berntson at the University of Gothenburg says that one of the dishes that has been pushed aside is dip in the pot.
– I want to strike a blow for dipping in the pot. The tradition of dipping the hard bread into the hot ham spade goes back a long way. Here there are different regional variants, in the north you usually dip hard flat bread in the ham spade, while you often dip herb bread in the south of Sweden, says Jenny Högström Berntson to the newspaper Research.
Some Christmas table classics. Image source: Johan Nilsson/TT Bild
Other dishes that are being phased out of our Swedish Christmas tables are lutefish, pig’s feet and eel. The latter has almost completely disappeared as it is red-listed.
According to a survey by the industry organization Livsmedelsföretagen, ham is the most popular dish, closely followed by Jansson’s temptation, herring and meatballs.
The royal Christmas table – Stollen is always laid out
But what does it look like on the royal Christmas table?
In Sveriges Radio’s podcast The Monarchswhich is done by the journalists Look Schultz and Ebba Kleberg von Sydowreveals Hovet’s former information manager Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg more about the royal family’s Christmas traditions, and when asked what must always be on the Christmas table, she answers:
– The queen is very fond of Stollen. We learned that in the staff that way, it always came from a baker in Heidelberg, every year. In good time, actually to St Nicolas, a large shipment with Stollen, says Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.
The entire royal family gathered! Image source: Clément Morin / Royal Court/TT Image
Heidelberg is queen Silvia’s place of birth, and she lived there from her birth in 1943 until 1947, when the moving load went to Sao Paolo and Brazil.
Stollen is a German, very sweet fruit cake that is a must on many German Christmas tables.
Stollen – Queen Silvia’s great favourite, which she brings to Sweden from Germany every year. Image source: AP Photo/Jens Meyer/TT Bild Vegetarian Christmas dinner for the royal family
Something else that is always on the royal Christmas table are many green, vegetarian options.
– There are vegetarian options because the princess Madeleine was the first in the family to introduce vegetarian dishes. And then the princess came Sophia into the family and she is an outspoken vegetarian, says Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg in the podcast.
Vegetarian on the Christmas table. The royal family offers several vegetarian options. Image source: Christine Ohlsson/TT Bild